Dispensing machine



w. E. Bn-n. ETAL 1,845,941

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22,. 1939 f .vzrsneelts-sheet 41` Kyu noA L Feb. 23, 1932.

Feb. 23, 1932. w. E. BIHI. ET AL DI SPENSING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Filed Jan. 22, 1930 f jg@ z. i

N KNX Patented Feb;v 23, 1.932r 'i UNITED STATES OFFICE WILLIAI E. BIHL AND .AXEL RAICLAW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS T`ZERO- ZONE CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS marl-:usure moslim application ala-January 22, 1930. serial Na. 422,511;

This invention relates to dispensing machines.

In our copending applications, Serial No. 131,634,1iled August 26, 1926, and Serial N o. 190,711, led May 12, 1927, we disclose a coin controlled machine for dispensing cooled drinks and beverages such as pop and the like.

The instant invention which may be considered an improvement on the disclosure on our-copending applications, relates primarily to a machine ot this kind, although the invention is applicable to other types oflma-A Y chines of the same general class and is not therefore to be limited to machines for dispensing cooled beverages.

In the copending applications above re-I- ferred to bottles of pop or 'other similar beverages are dis osed 1n an upri ht position in a ramp whlch describes a patIx around a cooling- !medum disposed within a-suitable housing so that the bottles are cooled to the desired temperature by the cooling medium. The depositof'a coin inthe coin chute of the machine releases the mechanism so that by the operation of a crank projecting from the front of the machine, the bottles in the ramp are moved and one of them discharged through a trap door and chute leading to theA exterior of the machine.

In the machines of.our prior applications the bottleslare moved by a pusher which is actuated by a cable or rope threaded through suitable pulleys disposed on the ram and around a windlass, which is operated y the crank mechanism of the machine. The pusher is necessarily disposed back of the last bottle in the ramp, and to dispense a bottle from the ramp it is necessary that the pusher move all of the bottles on the Aramp.

In certain instances, such as are encountered when the machine is fully loaded, the

irregular path that the ramp defines makes it difiicult for a pusher located behind the last bottle on the ramp to push the entire string of bottles.

.For example, if the cooling tank is elliptical in shape and the ramp v ted around it, the bottles must be made to move over a generally helical path and certain of the bottles are moved in an opposite direction to the movement of the other bottles. The result is that the bottles bind in the ramp and a Very appreciable force must be exerted on the crank mechanism of the machine to sucx cessfully discharge a bottle from it. In our present invention we have improved the operation ofthe machine by providing in addition to the pusher located behind the last bottle on the ramp, a plurality of mecha? w nisms which engage the string of bottles a various points. When'the crank mechanism of the machine is operated the pusher is vmoved and the auxiliary mechanisms are operated to push the bottles that they engage. .5

In effect, instead of applyin the power to move the stringofbottles who ly at one point -we are now applying it at several points along the string so that the tendency of the bottles to bind in theramp is thereby reduced vature with the result that the bottles are 30 less liable to bind in the ramp and their movement thereby made easier.

While bottles are mentioned as being the articles to be dispensed by the machine, obviously the application of our invention is not limited to the movement of bottles, nor is it limited to a machine in which a cooling unit is employed to keep the articles dispensed at a certain temperature.' Any solid objects capable of being disposed in a ramp can be so moved through that ramp by themechanism of our invention.

Now to acquaint those skilled in the art with the teachings of our invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of it is shown by way of example only, and in which Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a\dis pensing machine equipped in accordance with the teachings of our invention l Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking Iin the direction of the arrows; l

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the auxiliary pusher of our invention; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken alongthe line 4 4 of- Figure 3.' The dispensingmachine comprlses a cabiu net consisting of inner wall 1 and outerwall 2 with a suitable sheet insulation 3 interposed between the two walls. As shown, this cabithe modern practice exercised in the construction of cabinets of this kind.

The interior of the cabinet is reached by the door 4 located at the side of the cabinet and constructed Vin substantially f the saine manner as the ywalls of the cabinet. This door is hinged and locks in the usual'manner by devices not shown on the drawmgs.

Within the rectangular space formed by the wall 1 of the cabinet is located the cooling chamber 5, the ramp 6, andthe mechanism for controlling the operation' of the machine. Preferably ,the cooling chamber 5 is cylindri- -cal in, shapel and theramp 6 made to describe a helical ypath around this cylinder. 'lfhe cooling chamber 5 may be a c an filled'with melting ice, or preferably it 1s the coohng medium cfa mechanical refrigerating plant, and while shown as a solid cylinder it may be -either a coiled pipe or a plurality of vertical pipes, or any other arrangement of the cooling medium circulating system of a mechanical refrigerating system, as long as the general shape ofthe arrangement is cylindrical.

As shown, the machine is designed to dispense beverages such as pop, which are contained in the bottles 8, those bottleszbemg stood upon end in the ramp, as shown 1n the drawings.

The ramp comprises a plurality of generally U-shaped bracket members 10 in the closed bend of which is placed a supporting rail 11 upon which the bottoms of the bottles rest.- Guard rails 1,2 and 13 are attached to the upper ends of the U brackets 10 and serve as side supports for the articles supported on the rail 11. v Preferably the ramp so formed Winds its way from the top of the cylindrical chamber 5 down and around that chamber and terminates in a tangential portion 14 adj accnt the discharge slot 15 of the machine.

The details of this discharge slot are not of the essence of the present invention since any preferred arrangement capable of permitting Vthe withdrawal of a bottle from the machine and at the same time preventing excessive ingress of warm air into it,l can be used within the teachings of our invention.

The length of the ramp ma be varied in the teachings of our invention, ut preferably Normally, withdrawal of the articles in the lnachine is prevented by the stop wheel 20 which rests against the first bottle 21 in the machine, and which isnormally prevented from rotating by the lever 22. This lever is connected through a control lever 23 to the control mechanism indicated generally at 24,

'and the lever 23 is held rigid by that mechanism until a coin is deposited in the slot 25 and the mechanism operated thereby to release a bottle from the machine.

The control mechanism also comprises a windlass drum 26 around which is woundthe driving cable 27, that cable being threaded through idler pulleys 28 and driving pulleys 29, both of which are located bn the ramp 6.

At the top of the ramp, the cable 27 leaves Y the last pulley 28 on the ramp and is threaded around idler pulley 30 attached to the body of the cabinetnear its top. From the pulley 30 the cable v27' runs down outside of the ramp to a second idler pulley 31 and from there back to the windlass 26.

' A pusher 32 is disposed on the Aramp hehind the last one 33 of the bottles 8, and bears against that bottle to push it and the one ahead of- -it through the ramp. The pusher 32 `comprises a main body to which the cable 27 is attached at 34, and the wheels 35 and 36 which bear a ainst the inside lower rail 13 of the ramp.- y this arrangement a movement of the: cable 27 responsive to a turning of the windlass drum 26 mo'ves the pusher 32 in the ramp and slides the bottles 33 and 8 along in the ramp toward the discharge chute 15.

Inasmuch as the ramp 6 makes a plurality of convolutions around the cooling unit. 5in a substantially helical path, the amount of force required to be placed on the last bottle 33 by the pusher 32 to move the entire string of approximately bottles is more than can be conveniently applied by the windlass l26. This is because of the tendency of the bottles to buckle and get `out of line withV a consequent increase in the friction between the bottles and the side rails of the ramp.

To eliminate this trouble and to further the movement of the bottles inthe ramp-by have located the star wheel 40 and the coma counter-clockwise direction.

the windlass 26 we have provided a .lurality of star wheels shown in detail in igures 3 and 4, which star Wheels comprise the stars 40 mounted upon a vertical shafty 41 which is disposed along the outside edge of the ram shaft 42 which projects through the bottom,

member 43 of the `U-shaped bracket 10, and is so located that the pulley 29 rests on. top of the member 43 andin the pocket-like part 44 of the bracket '19. The upper surface of the pulley is disposed below the upper surface of the supporting rail 11 so that the presence ofthe pulley in the ramp does not in any way interfere with the movement of bottles through the ramp. v

@n the lower end of the shaft 42 and below the bracket member 43 is a driving gear 45 which is rigidly attached to the shaft 42 and rotated by it. A smaller driving gear 46 is pivoted to the member 43 on the underside of v it and meshes with the gear 45, the gear 46 in turn'meshing with a similar gear 47 also located beneath the bracket member 43. The gear 47 meshes with a fourth gear 48 attached to the lower end of the shaft 41. Through the operation of this gear train, .a movement of the driving pulley 29 is transmitted to the shaft 41, and that shaft is rotated thereb yrlhe star wheel 40 is notrigidly attached to the shaft 41 but rather is provided with a ratchet wheel 49 with the teeth of which the pawl 50 is engaged. The pawl 50 is carried upon the gear 48 so that a movement of that gear in counter-clockwise direction, Figure 3, causes the pawl 50 to engage the tooth of the ratchet wheel 49 and to drive the star 40 in In one embodiment of our inventionwe panion drive gears therefor at a plurality of points on the ramp 6 so that the teeth of the star wheels engage every twelfth bottle on the ramp. By this arrangement instead of applying the driving power solely to the back bottle of the group by the pusher 32, we applied this driving power to a plurality of points along the string of bottles.

Since there are but twelve bottles intervening between the points of application of the driving power, that driving power can push those twelve bottles without encountering undue side friction caused by thebuckling of the string of bottles.y The movement of the entire string of bottles -through the ramp is therefore facilitated by the auxiliary pushing of the star wheels, and the windlass 26 can dispensed from t This reverse movement of the cable 27' easily be operated to disp-ensel a bottle from the machine.

` Obviously the particular spacing of the star wheels around the ramp 6 can be varied to meet the desired requirements of easeof operation. While we have employed a starwheel for every twelve bottles in the one embodiment of our invention, we are not to be limited to this as more or fewer bottles can be included between adjacent' star wheels.

As was brought out in our above mentioned copending applications, the machine is re- 4 loaded byoperating the Windlass 26 4in the drives the driving pulley` 29 in the opposite directions and through the gear Wheels 46 and 47, the gear 48 is driven in a clockwise direca tion, I* igure 3.

lVith the gear 48 moving in a clockwise direction the pawl 50 rides over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 49 without movin wheel. By this arrangement, the pus er 32 that can be moved to its starting point Without moving the bottles which are in the ramp at the time and engagedby the star wheels 40. Additional bottles are added to the ramp ahead of the pusher 32, and when the last bottle has been added the pusher is again moved into engagement with the last bottle 33 of the group. i

The star wheel 20 which engages the'first bottle 21 of the bottles in the ramp, and which is .normally locked by the lever 22 and unlocked at the start ofthe movement of the windlass 26, is again locked immediately after the bottle 21 has been discharged into the chute 15 through the operation of the link 52 which engages this last bottle 21 and exercises a control over the driving mechanism of the windlass 26 through the lever 53. However, the details of this driving mechanism and its control by the link 52 and lever 53 are lnot of the essence o f the Ipresent invention and are shown in full in our crpcnding application, SerialNo. 422,513 file Jan. 22, 1930 to which application reference is here 4inade for those details.

lVhile we have disclosed our invention by illustrating a preferred embodiment of it, we have done so by way of example only as there are-many modifications and adaptations which can be made by one skilled in the art within the scope and teachingsiof our invention.

Having thus complied with the statutes and shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, what we consider new and desire to have protected. by Letters Patent -is A pointed out in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a bottle dispensing machine, a trackway for holding a plurality of bottles in an upright position, a pusher fitted on said trackway and engaging one of said bottles, means for moving said pusher over the trackway to thereby move 'said bottles thereover, and means on said trackvvay rotated about stationary axes by said movingmeans to move said bottles independently of said usher. l

2. In a bottle dispensing machine, a trackway for holding alplurality o f bottles in an uprightv position, a pusher fitted on said trackway and engaging one of said bottles,

a plurality of pulleys attached to said track- Way, a'flexible cable threaded through vsaid pulleys and attached to said pusher to move it over the trackway to thereby move said bottles -thereover, and means on said trackway rotated about fixed axes by said cable and cooperating with said pusher to move said bottles.

3. In a bottle dispensing machine, a track- Way for holding a plurality of bottles in an upright position, a pusher fitted -on said trackway and engaging one of said bottles, means for moving said pusher over the trackway to thereby move said bottles thereover,L

and a star Wheel rotated by said moving means to assist said pusher in moving said bottles. L'

4. In a bottle dispensing machine, a trackway for holding a plurality of bottles in an said moving means to-assist said pusher in' upright position, a 'pusher fitted on said trackway and engaging one of said bottles,-

means for moving said pusher over the track- `way to thereby move said bottles thereover,

and a plurality of star Wheels rotated by moving said bottles.

5. In' a bottle dispensing machine, a track- Way for holding a plurality oibottles in an 'upright position, a p'usher fitted on said ing said bottles.

trackway and engaging one of said bottles, a plurality of pulleys attached to said trackway, a iexible cable threaded through said pulleys and attached to said pusher to move it over the trackway Vto thereby move said bottles thereover, and a star wheel rotated by said cable to assist said pusher in mov- I 6. In a bottle dispensing machine, at trackway for holding a plurality of bottles in an upright position, a pusher fitted on said. .trackway and engaging one of said bottles,

a plurality of pulleys attached to said track- Way, a flexible cable threaded through said pulleys and attached to said pusher to move it over the trackway to thereby move said bottles thereover, -and a plurality of star wheels rotated bv said cable to assist said pusher in moving said bottles.

7. In a bottle dispensing machine, a trackway for holding a plurality of bottles in an upright position, a pusher fitted on said trackway and engaging oneof said bottles, means for moving-said pusher over the trackway to thereby move said bottles thereover,

and means on said trackway rotated about means for moving said pusher to move said articles alohg said ramp, and an auxiliary pusher operated by said means and having meansfor engaging said articles to assist in pushing them along said ramp. v

9. In a dispensing machine, a ramp which describes a substantially helical path and is arranged to holdla plurality ofthe articles' to be dispensed by the machine, a pusher disposed on -sald ramp behind said articles, means for moving said pusher to move said articles along said ramp, and a plurality of auxlllary pushers operated by said means and havingmeans for engaging said articles to assist in pushing them alongsaid ramp.

10. In a dispensing machine, 'a 'ramp which describes a substantially helical ath and is arranged to holda plurality o the articles to be dispensed by the machine, a pusher disposed on said ramp behind said articles, means for moving said Jpusher to move said articles along. said ramp, and a Aplurality of'auxiliary pushers mounted on the outside edge of saidramp, operated by said means and having means for engaging said articles to assist in pushing them along said ramp. A

11. In a dispensing machine, alramp which describes a substantially helicalpath and is arranged to hold a pluralityof the articles yto be disposed by/the machine','a pusher disposed 'on said rampwbehind said articles, a plurality of pulley Wheels mounted along the inside edge of said ramp, a cable tlire'aded through said pulleys and attached to-gid pusher, means for moving s'a-id cable to tl'reby move said pusher along said ramp to push said articles therealong, and an auxiliary pusher mounted on the outside edge of said ramp and geared to one of said pulleys and f operated by it when said cableis moved and means on said auxiliary pusher for engaging said articles to assist said pusher in moving them along said ramp.

12.. In a dispensing machine, a ramp which describes a substantially helical path and is arranged t0 hold a plurality of the articles to be disposed by the machine,.a pusher disposed on said ramp behind said articles, a

plurality of pulley vvhee'ls mounted along the inside edge of said ramp, a cable threaded through said pulleys and attached to sald usher, means or moving said cable to there- Ey move said usher along said ramp to push said articles therealong, a plurality-of auxiliary pushers. mounted'on the outside edge of said ramp, each bein geared to one of said pulleys and operated by it when said cable is moved, and means on said auxiliary pushers for'engaging said articles to assist said push-l er in moving them along sa1d ramp.

' 13. In a dis ensin machine, aramp which describes a su stantlally helical path and is arranged to hold a plurality of the articles to be disposed by the machine, a pusher disposed on said ramp behind said articles, a plurality of pulley wheels mounted alon the inside edge of said ramp, a cable threa ed through said pulleys and attached to said pusher, means for moving said .cable to thereby move said pusher along said ramp to push said articles therealong, a.. plura ity of auxiliary pushers .mounted on the outside edge of said ramp, each being geared to one' of said pulleys andoperated byit when said cable is moved, and a star wheel on each of said auxiliary pushers for engaging said artlcles .to assist said pusher in moving them along said ramp.

14. In a dispensing machine, a ramp comprising a U-shaped bracket, a supporting-rail mounted in the closed end of said bracket and extending upward parallel to the side lmembers of the bracket, side rails attached to said side members and extending parallel to said supporting rail, a pulley mounted above 'the closed end of said bracket butbelow and to one side of said supporting rail, a shaft for said pulley extending through said bracket, a gear mounted on said shaft below said bracket, a star wheel mounted on the opposite side of said supporting rail and above it, a shaft for said star wheel extending below said bracket, a gear on said shaft, and a gear train mounted below said bracket and connecting said star wheel shaft gear to said pulley shaft gear.

15. `In a dispensing machine, a ramp comprising a U-shaped bracket, 'a supporting rail mounted in the closedjend of said bracket and extending upward parallel to the side members of the bracket, side rails attached to said side members and extending parallel to said supporting rail, a pulley mounted above the closed end of said bracketv but below and to one side of said supporting rail, a shaft for said pulley extending through said bracket, a gear mounted on said shaft below said bracket, a star wheel mounted on the opposite side of said supporting rail and above it, a shaft for said star wheel extend-ing below said bracket, a gear shaft, a ratchet connection between said star wheel and said star wheel shaftgeamand a gear train mounted below said bracket and connecting said star bracket, a star wheel wheel shaft gear to said ulley shaft gear. 16. In a dispensing mac ine, a ramp comprising a U-shaped bracket, a supporting rail mounted in the closed end of said bracket and extending upward parallel to the side mem.

bers of the bracket, side rails attached to said side members and extending parallel to said supportin rail, a ulley7 mounted above the,A

said star wheel shaft gear to'said pulley shaft gear.

1.7. In a dispensing machine, a ramp comprising a U-shaped bracket, a supporting rail mounted in the closed end of said bracket and extending upwardl parallel to the side members of the bracket, side rails attachedto said side members and extending parallel to said supporting rail, a pulley mounted above lthe p closed end of said bracket but below and to one side of said supporting rail, a shaft for said pulley extending throughsaid bracket, a gear mounted on said shaft below said site side of said supporting rail and above it, a shaft for said star wheel extending below said bracket, a gear on said shaft, 'a ratchet connection between said star wheel andsaid star'wheel shaft gear, a gear train mounted below saidbracketand connecting said star wheel shaft gear to said pulley shaft gear, and a cable engaging said pulley to rotate it and said star wheel.

18. In a dispensing machine, a cylindrical cooling element, a ramp describing a helical path around said element, said ramp being adapted to hold a plurality of articles to be dispensed by the machine, and means engag- .ing a plurality. of ones of said articles for pushing them along said ramp to dispense them from said machine.

19. In a dispensing machine, a cylindrical cooling element, a ramp describing Na helical path around said element, said ramp being adapted to hold a plurality of articles to be dispensed'by the machine, and means including a wheel engaging lone of them for pushing them along said ramp to' dispense them from said machine.

20. In a dispensing machine, a cylindrical cooling element, a ramp describing a helical path 'around said element, said ramp being adapted to hold a plurality of articles to be dispensed by the machine, and means engaging a plurality of ones of said articles for pusher behind said articles and a star Y mounted on the oppopushing them downward in said ramp to dispense them from said machine.

21. In a dispensing machine, a cylindrical cooling element, a ramp describing a helical path around said element, said ramp being4 adapted to hold a plurality of articles to be ,dispensed by the machine, and means including a pusher behind said articlesand a star wheel engaglng one of them for pushing them down said ramp to dispense them from said machine.

22. In a dlspensmg machine, a cylindrical cooling element, a ramp describing a helical r path around said element, said ramp being adapted to hold a plurality of articles to be dispensed by the machine` and means including a pusher behind said articles and a star wheel engaging one of themv and moved simultaneously with said pusher to push said articles dowr` said ramp toy dispense them from said machine. l v

23. In a dispensing machine, a cylindrical cooling element, a ramp describing a helical path around said element, said ramp being adapted to hold a plurality of articles to be4 dispensed by the machine, and means including a pusher behind said articles and a plu-v rality of star wheels each engaging one of the articles and moved synchronouslyk with the other wheels and simultaneously with said pusher to push said articles down said ramp to dispense them from said machine.'

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe l* our names this 17th day of January, 1930. WILLIAM E. BIHL. AXEL RAMCLAW. 

